Under the Shadow of the Legendary Queen By Panji Kuncoro Hadi Perhaps, it is not for me to understand why my father still loves this barren coastal area, the dangerous waves and his rotting canoe. I also have no idea why Nyai Lara Kidul, the legendary and beautiful Queen of the South Seas, has not provided a helping hand by sending him a lot of big fish so that we could be prosperous.

Between desire and loathing in extramarital affairs By Hyginus Hardoyo JAKARTA (JP): In front of a sympathetic audience, the young man was willing to speak up and tell of his marital troubles. "Doctor, my wife is having an extramarital affair with her former boyfriend. Despite my wife's transgression, I still love her and do not want to see my family break up.

Waiting for Jakarta's quick action By Hyginus Hardoyo Today, the people of Lampung celebrate the province's 37th anniversary. Prior to government regulation number 3/1964 issued on March 18, 1964, Lampung was a karesidenan (regency) under the province of South Sumatra. Here The Jakarta Post presents the trials and triumphs of this province.

Still Playing JAKARTA (JP): For Jakarta's movie lovers, there are lots of interesting films currently screened at local theaters. If you are confused at the amount and variety, The Jakarta Post's contributor Joko E.H. Anwar may have some suggestions for you. A Fighter's Blues. (Drama, 100 minutes). Starring Andy Lau, Sine Charoenpura, Takako Tokiwa, Towit Wattanakl. Directed by Daniel Lee.

The land, the Dutch, Raffles JAKARTA (JP): In the 17th century, this region was one of the many targets of the V.O.C, the Dutch trading company, in its bid to take over and monopolize trading, especially that of spices, in Lampung. Sultan Agung Tirtayasa claimed Lampung as his territory when he ruled Banten until 1683. According to the Lampung Dalam Angka (Lampung in Figures) report, issued by the Lampung administration in 1998, Banten, at the time, was a busy trading center.

OPEC restrains oil exports again VIENNA (Reuters): OPEC producers agreed on Friday to restrain oil exports for the second time this year, slicing about one million barrels a day -- near the upper end of expectations. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is hoping the cutbacks will restore prices for its oil to US$25 a barrel, equivalent to about $27 for international benchmark Brent.

Candra, Tony, Lisa win Bola's Awards JAKARTA (JP): Men's doubles shuttlers Candra Wijaya and Tony Gunawan and women's weightlifter Lisa Rumbewas won the 2000 Best Athlete Award conferred by Bola sports tabloid on Saturday to commemorate its 17th anniversary. The sports awards ceremony was broadcasted live by RCTI private channel.

When religion is manipulated for political ends Agama Rakyat Agama Penguasa, Konstruksi tentang Realitas Agama dan Demokrasi (People's religion Ruler's Religion: A Construction on Reality of Religion and Democracy); Zainuddin Maliki; Published by Galang Press, Yogyakarta, 2000; 252 pp. JAKARTA (JP): Religion and power (read: state) always stimulate interesting discussion now that Indonesia is going through a transitional phase from authoritarianism to democracy.

TNI sends 3 battalion units, cavalry to Aceh JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Military (TNI) has dispatched three battalions to guard the gas field installation of US-based ExxonMobil Oil Indonesian Inc. (EMOI) in Aceh as part of an effort to let the company resume operations, Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Saturday.

Forged art a a lucrative business The Indonesian art market is saturated with forged paintings, and members of the local art community have tried in vain to combat the crime. The Jakarta Post's Rita A Widiadana, along with contributors Putu Wirata, Yusuf Susilo and Reita I. Malaon, examine the business of fake artworks. Art critic Agus Dermawan T. also contributes his opinion. JAKARTA (JP): Sorry may seem to be the hardest word for Amana Inc.

Securing your twilight years JAKARTA (JP): To date only some 350 out of millions of companies in this country have established the pension fund DPPK (Employer Sponsored Pension) for their workers to afford them financial security on retirement. The DPLK (Financial Institution Pension Fund), on the other hand, has less than 0.5 percent of the country's 210 million population as members.

Guess What? Khofifah Indar Parawansa A woman is usually highly conscious about age. How would you react if someone told you that you look older than your age? Khofifah Indar Parawansa, the State Minister for Women's Empowerment/Chairperson of the National Family Planning Board, could hardly believed her ears when her husband told her she looked 10 years older than her actual 35 years.

Samudra Beach's Room No. 308 still retains its mystery By Ida Indawati Khouw PELABUHAN RATU, West Java (JP): You can book any room you want at the Samudra Beach Hotel at Pelabuhan Ratu near Sukabumi, about 160 kilometers from Jakarta, but don't ask for room no. 308. For sure, the management won't let you stay in the room, located in the center of the third floor even though you might have a wad of cash or several platinum credit cards. The room is strictly reserved for a very special guest...

Indonesia -- The land of fine art forgery? By Agus Dermawan T JAKARTA (JP): Still remember the scandalous exhibition and cancelled auction of alleged painting forgeries called The Old Painting Pre-World War II held in Jakarta in November 2000? This scandal was one of the world's most pathetic fine art events. The category of world scale is justifiable as upon closer observation this case of alleged painting forgery, exhibition and sales is considered the largest in our modern era.

'ANteve' begins airing 'Boleh Contest' Boleh Contest; ANteve, 5:30 p.m., Sunday JAKARTA (JP): One of the many local dot-com companies, bolehmail.com, launched Boleh Contest, a TV program linked to bolehmail's ongoing Cyber Model 2001 Contest, last Wednesday at Crowne Plaza Hotel, Central Jakarta. Under the banner of its operator, PT Boleh Net Indonesia, the program will be aired between March 18 and June 10, 2001.

Indonesia aims to stay in 1st division of Asian baseball JAKARTA (JP): The just-promoted Indonesian baseball team is aiming to maintain its presence in the first division of the Asian Championship baseball tournament. "Our main target is to stay in the first division and will fight our best to prevent being relegated to the second division," team manager Joedo Asmoro told reporters on Saturday at a farewell party to the team before it departed to Taipei on Sunday.

Modus operandi of swindling From Media Indonesia A colleague of mine has been cheated by a man with a typically Middle Eastern face claiming to be called Nadjib Baktir (about 50). He got to know my colleague from the latter's advertisement in a Jakarta-based newspaper about the selling of his 50-hectare piece of land in Bogor. Purporting to be the proxy of an Australian under the name of Mr.

Guess What? Anggun C. Sasmi JAKARTA (JP): Internationally acclaimed singer Anggun C. Sasmi seems to have decided that there is no place like home. But in her case, after spending several years in Paris and making it big there with the hit Snow on the Sahara and her recent album Chrysalis, absence has apparently not made the heart grow fonder for her homeland.

Forgery, crime plaguing art world By Reita I. Malaon JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian art market has enjoyed a boom since 1998, despite the economic crisis. You can visit any major art gallery or attend various art auctions and witness the increasing appreciation for works of art. The previous record price of Rp 1 billion paid for Joko Pekik's Berburu Celeng (Hunting a Pig) was surpassed by the Rp 2.6 billion paid for W.G.

Children deal with trauma through art By Mehru Jaffer JAKARTA (JP): What can one say about children who have not met the same fate as their parents but have lived instead to see the their father's head chopped off and paraded on a pole, and their mother raped and murdered before their eyes? That they will grow up refusing to do what has been done to them? That is the only hope of all decent human beings who do not believe in violence.

Where to go in Jakarta: Exhibitions * Photo: Frida Kahlo and Her Friends, by Lola Alvarez Bravo, La Casa de Mexico, Jl. Panglima Polim III no. 1-3, South Jakarta, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., until March 28. * Video Installation by Christophorus Ade Desembris, French Cultural Center, Jl. Salemba Raya 25, Central Jakarta (Phone: 3908585), until March 22. * Light Ornaments, Erasmus Huis, Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said, Kav S-3, Kuningan, South Jakarta (Phone: 5241069), until March 24.

Indonesia, a country of convenience! JAKARTA (JP): One may think that visiting Indonesia is risky; what with the riots, demonstrations, robberies, bombings and all that. But the truth is different, at least for those who have been here for quite some time. Take it from James, an American expatriate who works for a computer company. Upon his arrival, he immediately fell in love with this country, in particular Jakarta. It's so full of convenience and leisure.

Marzuki installed, told to save forests JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid installed Marzuki Usman as the new Minister of Forestry on Saturday replacing Nurmahmudi Ismail who was sacked from the Cabinet on Thursday. In his statement, Abdurrahman told Marzuki, who was minister for tourism, arts and culture under former president B.J. Habibie, to save the nation's forests saying they were part of the country's natural wealth, useful for the national economy.

Bomb explodes, destroys railway track in Serpong JAKARTA (JP): A bomb exploded early Saturday morning in the middle of a railway bridge over the Cisadane river in Serpong district, Banten province, shortly after a freight train passed. A section of the railway track was destroyed but no fatalities were reported. Police also found two other bombs near the area, about one kilometer from the Bumi Serpong Damai housing complex, some 30 kms from Jakarta.

NU defends planned mobilization of Gus Dur supporters to the capital YOGYAKARTA (JP): Deputy chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Muslim organization's Syuriah (law-making body) Said Agiel Siradj defended on Saturday the planned mobilization of NU supporters to Jakarta. "It is reasonable for NU supporters to flock to the capital to counter demonstrations staged by anti-government protesters, isn't it?" Agiel told reporters after addressing a seminar at the Yogyakarta State University.

Paintings of Nyai Rara Kidul 'claimed victims' PELABUHAN RATU, West Java (JP): Basoeki Abdullah's paintings of Nyai Rara Kidul, considered by many as the spiritual Queen of the South, are mystical and by the artist's account claimed a number of victims. The late Basoeki shared the strange experiences of the paintings in the book R. Basoeki Abdullah RA. Duta Seni Lukis Indonesia (R. Basoeki Abdullah RA. Ambassador of Indonesian Painting) by Agus T. Dermawan.

All's well that ends well By Darul Aqsha JAKARTA (JP): Many parents in Indonesia used to encourage their children to join the civil service or military. They deemed as "servants of the state" their children's future would be guaranteed, or at least they would receive a pension at retirement. Even today a large number of youths are eager to become "the servants of the state" after graduating. They bribe, wait patiently in a long queues or jostle in crowds to make their dreams comes true.

Luluk Purwanto: You have to keep creating JAKARTA (JP): Violinist Luluk Purwanto is one of very few Indonesian musicians to have gone international. She was born in the Central Java city of Surakarta on June 25, 1959. After studying classical violin with Nicolas Varfolomeyer and Kamanji Kristanto, the daughter of Aysha Gani and Julian Purwanto received a scholarship to the Sydney Conservatory of Music. She has performed at numerous international jazz festivals and has toured all over the world.

TV today TVRI 5:00 a.m. Religious Teachings 6:00 News 8:00 Children's Program 9:00 Children's Film 9:30 Sports 11:00 Music 12:00 p.m. Traditional Comedy 1:30 Children's Program 3:00 News 3:30 Religious Teachings 4:00 Children's Program 5:00 News 5:30 Children's Program 6:00 Student's Program 7:00 Evening News 7:30 Film 9:00 Music 10:00 Variety Show 11:00 Health Program Program 2 5:30 p.m. Music 6:30 City News 7:00 News 7:30 News (in English) 8:00 Documentary TPI 5:30 a.m.

Dim Sum to make your snack time special Starting this week, The Jakarta Post's Cook's Corner will present recipes prepared by Mary Winata twice a month, in the first and third week. JAKARTA (JP): A wide variety of Dim Sum is usually served as a snack during morning or afternoon tea in some Asian countries like China and Korea. Try these two recipes and make your tea time special.

Shangri-La hotel workers injured during protest JAKARTA (JP): Several of some 300 employees involved in a labor dispute with Shangri-La hotel were injured when police officers dispersed their demonstration in front of the Central Jakarta hotel on Saturday, the first day it resumed operation. Using rattan sticks, dozens of officers beat the workers grouped in the Shangri-La Independent Workers' Union (SPMS). The Central Jakarta Police deputy chief, Asst. Sr. Comr.

Still a key success factor By Zatni Arbi Unlike the government of Indonesia, businesses around the world have long chanted a three-word mantra: Efficiency, efficiency, efficiency. It is not a new concept, as you would say. What, then, is Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), which may sound passe to the ear of journalists, analysts and many of us?

Krakatau made this land heard JAKARTA (JP): What comes to mind when Lampung is mentioned? Lampung coffee? Rubber? Shrimp farm? Bakauheni ferry port? The giant Bakrie group? None of the above? For outsiders, especially foreigners, the first things that come to mind about this province are probably: the 1883 Krakatau eruption and the elephant training school in Way Kambas National Park.

Dealing with deadly anthrax bacterium By Maria Endah Hulupi JAKARTA (JP): Recent reports of anthrax-infected livestock in West Java are causing concern. Many people now shun beef and mutton for fear of contracting anthrax from infected meat. An additional order like "Just omit the beef, please" or questions such as "Can I have chicken instead of beef, please?" are often heard while dining out in restaurants.